One of the most prestigious universities in the country, Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut is one of seven schools with an Ivy League distinction.

Home to some of the country’s most prized programs, the quality of Yale’s academics span all disciplines. The faculty is award winning, published and includes some of the world’s most respected scholars, authors and artists.

Yale is particularly well known for its theatre school and divinity school, and many graduate drama students consider Yale to be the best of the best.

Additional undergraduate and graduate academics include a range of degrees such as:

Archaeology

Architecture

Biomedical Engineering

Classics

Film

Linguistics

Nursing

Yale is also home to a medical school, which offers such specializations as:

Neurosurgery

Obstetrics

Psychiatry

Surgery

The campus environment includes everything from theatre performances at Yale Repertory to some of the world’s most notable art exhibits and collections, including those maintained by The Yale Center for British Art and Yale University Art Gallery. There are also numerous student organizations and clubs of all types.

Admission to Yale is highly competitive, with some programs being more selective than others. The Yale School of Drama, for example, accepts a handful of students yearly out of the hundreds who apply to its MFA in Acting, which has for years maintained the top spot nationally.

Those applying to arts programs will need to demonstrate excellence in their discipline while applicants to academic programs must have a high grade point average, test scores and impressive recommendation letters.

Financial aid is awarded through various sources. Departmental scholarships are awarded, as is federal aid such as grants, loans and work-study.

Certain graduate programs also offer fellowships in exchange for a research or teaching assistantship. Most eligible students receive aid from a combination of sources.

Overall School Rating:

Student Ratings

Erika KerekesAlumnus - Grad Year 1988

Overall Rating

Yale is a wonderful place for students looking for a challenging, well-rounded college experience. Musicians and theater lovers will be particularly happy at Yale. Yale's "residential college" system allows students to get the small-school experience within the huge overall population. Among the Ivy League, I think Yale has the best attitude when it comes to work-life balance and stress management.

Christine LiAlumnus - Grad Year 2005

Overall Rating

I applied to Yale because of the name brand, but the more I got to know the school, the more it seemed it was the right fit for me. Yale is a great place to go if you're looking for an excellent education and thriving student scene. Everyone I knew was passionately involved in one or more extracurricular, whether that was sports, theater, singing groups, ethnic groups, volunteer organizations, etc. The residential college system makes sure that from the moment you arrive on campus, you have 100+ new friends. Each college has its own facilities, including a dining hall, library, lounge, and other things. This system helps the medium-size school feel a lot smaller and more intimate. Many of my best friends are still Yalies, and it is extremely rare to find someone who did not love their Yale experience. There is a scene for everyone, though I would say there are some overarching aspects of the culture I would highlight: non-competitiveness (people rarely talked about grades and I had no idea how even my friends performed academically, people also readily help each other study), general tolerance (Yale has everything from eccentric artsy types to athletes), and public service (by far, this is the biggest defining characteristic).